case_studies

Seeding an innovation ecosystem in the Belfast City Region

The innovation economy is at the heart of Belfast’s past, present and future.
People walk past a historic building with large domes and columns on a sunny day, reflected in a glass window.

We worked with Belfast City Council to run an innovative procurement call (SBRI) to identify new ways for city to maximise business rates capture. The project funded four companies, resulting in the creation of innovative tools by two UK firms, and the identification of more than £1 million additional annual revenues for the council.

From this foundation, Connected Places Catapult worked with Belfast to create the Smart Belfast Framework. This outlined a further set of city challenges and opportunities from tourism to environmental services, transport and more. 300 firms attended the launch and 75 businesses are now involved in this growing market.

Building on our trusted relationship with the city council, Connected Places Catapult was then invited by the city to drive development of an ambitious, robustly evidenced plan for the economic development of the region.

Connected Places Catapult’s CEO, Nicola Yates OBE, chaired the digital and innovation workstream, bringing together six councils, two universities and a range of private sector allies, to develop the Belfast Regional City Deal. Significant effort was needed to bring the region’s diverse assets and actors into alignment around a shared vision and set of propositions.

The deal which emerged secured £500 million of investment in the region’s digital and innovation economy, comprising the largest City Deal investment to date and over £150 million of private investment from the likes of Catalyst Inc, Caterpillar, Ryobi, Bombardier, GSK, Belfast Harbour and BAE Systems and others.

Cover of a case study titled "The Belfast Region City Deal," focusing on unlocking the region's digitally enabled future. Features Catapult and Public Service Transformation Academy logos.

The Belfast Region City Deal

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